The PolitiX of Popularity

Have you ever wondered how some artists consistently get their work listed on the front page at Deep Dreams? Have you made something that you absolutely loved but were disappointed with the likes it received? Is there a special formula people use to get the likes they get, or is it all just a popularity contest that you can never be a part of?

If you've asked yourself these questions in the past, then this post is for you! I may not have all the answers to your questions, but I will tell you what I do know about it. Yes, there's a bit of a popularity contest going on, but there's also a lot of hard work and background networking going on, too.

1. CREATE SOMETHING SPECIAL

Of course a great piece of artwork is going to get likes, especially if it stands out or is really different in some way. They're not necessarily easy to create, but you will likely know it when you see it. For the most part, pieces that make it to the front page DESERVE to be there, and one of the many ways they got there was likely because of their beauty and/or uniqueness.

2. WRITE YOUR OWN PROMPT

A recently added criteria to the ranking system is how many people used your TRY IT button. Writing your own prompt, (or heavily editing someone else's to make it original), will get others to use it. A great image made with an original prompt will get you started off nicely!

3. ONLY MAKE 1 OR 2 IMAGES PUBLIC PER DAY

I know it's difficult not to show off all the great images you're making, but flooding Deep Dreams with them can be a turn off for people, and certainly for the Deep Dreams popularity algorithm! If you release too many pictures, they will end up competing with each other for likes. This is because many people will only give you ONE like per day, and you'll see why as you read on. And if people are only giving you one like, then those likes will be distributed between your many designs. Having only one design published will mean all those single likes will land in one place.

4. RETURN LIKES

If you want to get likes, you have to give likes. It's not rocket science, and really is just common courtesy when you think about it. If someone has been kind enough to give you a lot of likes but never gets any in return, eXpect that person to eventually stop sending them your way as well. They will eventually save their likes for someone else who returns them. It's sort of a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" thing.

5. DO YOUR NETWORKING

Now this is a bit of work and can also be time consuming, but it really pays off in getting likes, especially in the long run. When you make a piece public it's important for it to begin getting a lot of likes right away. More likes than the other piX around it are getting. This will get it onto the Trending List. To do this, you should start liking other's worX as soon as possible, (so they, in return, will give your picture a like).

A good start is going through your FEED. You'll see the people that you're following there, who probably deserve your likes first! I usually go through them all until I hit where I left off the last time.

Then go through the TRENDING pages, this is the front page and the following pages afterward. Chances are, the artists who rank highly on these pages probably return your likes, so get to know who they are, and when you discover who the consistant like-givers are, follow them so they'll be in your FEED page!

Another good trick is to go to your last design and check out all the people who liked it. Did you give a like back to them? If not, be sure to do so now that you have a new design published. It's a 'thank you for liking my last picture' sort of thing, and might get them to like your current one as well.

And lastly, if you've done all of the above, go to the NEW designs list and go through it. I usually go through it until I get back to my newly published piece, where I can see how it's doing after all of this time I've spent networking! Like the designs you find worthy, and "phish" for new people who might return your likes here.

6. USE YOUR 500 LIKES WISELY

You only get 500 likes a day, so use them wisely. Remember when I said above that some people will only give you one like per day? Well, this is why. Many people use ALL 500 LIKES daily, and often they are phishing for your like in return. Sometimes they are testing you, giving you a like and waiting to see if you give one back. If they notice that you don't, don't eXpect many more likes from these people, as they will use your like somewhere else and test another person the same way. Also, it's always a good idea to hold back some 'emergency likes' for when someone you may have missed comes along and likes your work, so you'll be able to return the favor and won't miss it the neXt time you're doing this.

7. DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE

Now keep in mind that these are just some things that I thought of while sitting here typing and drinking my morning coffee. I've probably missed a few things and there are probably some things I'm unaware of that others might be doing to get maXimum likes on their work.

If you're really interested in getting more likes and developing your own network of 'like minded' artist friends though, what I've mentioned here will be a great way for you to get started on becoming more 'popular' at Deep Dreams.

It can also be difficult to keep track of things, especially to begin with, but if you make a ritual of it every time you publish your work, you'll begin to remember who is and isn't giving you likes in return.

8. CAREFUL NOW, IT CAN BE ADDICTIVE

Like all things at Deep Dreams, trying to figure out the Trending algorithm can be highly addictive! It's quite mysterious in how it actually ranks pieces, and when you start figuring out what makes it happy and then seeing the results from that, you will find yourself spending a LOT of time on the site. Like, a LOT MORE time than if you were just making pictures alone, so beware!

Yes, it's a rush to get on the front page, and it's a HUGE RUSH when you get to the top of page one, but there can often be a lot of work involved in the process. I personally was highly addicted at trying to get my artwork into that number 1 position, (and was quite successful at it), but have since calmed down a lot, as the time spent in doing so was best spent elsewhere.

Also, keep in mind that many of the consistant top ranking artists have been at Deep Dreams for YEARS and have really built up a wonderful fan base and networking system. They have also put in a lot of hard work to get where they are on the site.

That being said, if you are willing to put in the work yourself, you too can achieve that number one position!

Good Luck, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

"X"

August 13th, 2023